The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-08
THE BALANCE OF POWER.
Springfield Republican.

nearUH VI al open Hro-pihCe suo III
old man, musing on the past, and
watching the tongues OF flame as they
reduced the maple sticks to burning
Goals; and as he gazed upon them he
sang, in cracked tones, a stanza OF a
hymn which was one ofhis favorites:-
Father thank thee may no thoughts
Fer deem thy chastisements severe,
And may this heart by folly taught,
Calm each wild WISH each frantic fear.
In his youth, he had led the choir,
in the village church-and in his age,
he still liked to hear the sound OF his
voice, attuned to praising the Lord.
AS he sang he thought OF tn ose who
had gone before him 10 join the invisi-
BILE choir that sings the praises OF the
Lamb amid the throng OF the blessed
which he hoped so soon to join, for
death had lost all its sting for him,
and he awaited its summons with the
peaceful happiness with only belongs
to the evening of a well-spent life.
Mr.. Harrison had lost his wife eight
years before; his only daughter was
comfortably settled in a home OF her
own, but his only son had brought
his family to the old homestead and
had arranged with his father to carry
on the farm ITO halves" the old man
retaining the management, ostenslbly,
and doing what work he pleased. He
had kept the old nursery for his bed
room and shared the sitting-room
and dining-room with his sons family.
But as age crept over him he had
found the quiet OF his own room more
agreeable to him, and he was accus-
toned to sit there during the long win
ter evenings and read the daily news
paper, while his son would often join
him to discussthe business OF thefarm
and to talk upon the politics OF the
day, for Mr. Harrison's mind still re-
tanned its vigor. And as he sat and
unused and hummed the tunes he used
to delight in singing, Thomas, his son,
opened the door and the old man SAID;
"Come in, Toni Come right in Pm
thinking OF the old times when you
were baby, and mother sat here
and she and sang together the old
tunes we learned at singlng-school,
whore we fell in love with each other.
Oh, how happy we were! OF course,
we had our crosses to bear-shouldn' t
been human il we hadn't. 'Taint the
lot oil mortals to enjoy all sunshine,
or bear all storms. And | was set in
my way. | know that | wouldn t
give in easy. Suthin OF the bulldog
about me, and you, too, for that
matter. We've both OF us got the
square Jaw that tells OF the have
your own-way folks haven't we,
Tom?
"But she was as likely woman as
ever got my eyes on,-pretty as a
picter and smart as chain light
ming! Yet when she began to dispute
she wouldn't hold out long and al
lers let me have the last word, so
there we're not long quarrelings
'twixt us. Then | alters felt shamed
when thought about it, as ! plow-
ed or moved or reaped or drove
the oxen. and when | went to
the village I'd bring her suthln' =
praps a new dress or ribbin. II moth
ing else quarter pound OF candy.
Wimmem folks like sweet things, you
know, Tom, and they would alters do
the business for me and she'd give me
q kiss in return, and so it was all
honey pie with us again. And I've
been thinking and thinking about her
this New years eve. Sixty,two years
ago | married her-and yet she comes
to me tonight as young and fresh
and blooming as on that happy day.
And forget the years that have past,
nv heart forgets all its aches and ails,
and dream that we are young togeth-
err, and when you opened the door
] was a talking with her. didn't you
hear me? Doyou think Pm losing my
senses that | say these things, TomY
Not bit. Noe a bit. I tell you II you
live to be SO years old you will live
in the past more than in the present.
am old, dropping down like a sere
and yellow leaf-soon to be trodden
under foot"
And the old man sighed heavily, as
mt the awakening from a pleasant
dream to a sad reality.
"Yes, father, yes!" said Tom; you
are growing old and feeble. and Mary
and / have been thinking that you
ought not to do any more work, but
inst sit beside the fire. place, and let
us take care OF you"
"Well, WELL" said the old man tes-
tily II don't know about that. I've
got some muscle left-ain't quite anti
aua.ed yet, like old Scott, who is 92.
/ guess there's some work left in my
old bones still. What are you aiming
at, Tom? Out with it, I'm alters
downright and to the point. You
know don't beat round the bush.
| mNVnll fnther we Thought. !" said